October 20, 2022

Seeking Truths About Test-Optional Admissions?

Test-optional admissions grew in practice at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are likely to be with us for years to come at many schools. I touch on test-optional admissions in my new book, The Good College. But I would like offer added thoughts for high school juniors and […]
October 27, 2020

Clark University (MA) Changes Lives

Lydia Mann, director of admissions outreach at Clark University, put the COVID essay on the Common Application in proper perspective. Don’t feel pressured to write something, she says, or to try to find a “right answer.” Clark has also been test optional since 2012. If there is a school that is […]
September 10, 2020

Nursing Admissions in the New Normal Called Test Optional

Regardless of the size of the college, nursing admissions are going to be the most competitive. Undergraduate nursing programs need to often specialized coursework and smaller laboratory classes. They also need to be able to provide clinical opportunities to every student. But until now, most nursing admissions have been test […]
September 9, 2020

The New Normal of Test Optional Admissions

Test optional admissions have become a “new normal” for the upcoming college admissions cycle. They have presented many concerns and questions for parents and students alike. There is also uncertainty about upcoming test centers and test dates as high schools and colleges plan to reopen this fall.  This post features […]
May 29, 2020

How Do You Consider Test-Optional Schools?

The list of test-optional schools is growing every day in the new reality of COVID-19. This is understandable; the ACT and the College Board were not prepared for a pandemic. It was too late to find ways to administer a three-hour paper and pencil test under government-enforced policies of social […]
April 22, 2016

Will More Colleges Practice ‘Test Blind’ Admissions?

Last week I paid a visit to Hampshire College (MA), the only college in the U.S that practices “test blind” admissions. Test blind means that standardized test scores are not considered at all during the admissions process. Applicants need not bother to submit them. No one in the admissions office […]